TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Kuomintang (KMT) Luchu Township Representative Wang Kui-fen (王貴芬) yesterday said in a court session that she was so stressed that she could not control her emotions and slapped a female nurse in the face in public, noting that she is willing to apologize and reconcile with the nurse.

Wang was indicted by prosecutors last December on allegations of publicly humiliating and physically harming the nurse, surnamed Li. The indictment says that Wang committed numerous inappropriate deeds at the hospital.

The incident happened last November when Wang made a phone call to the hospital where her father was hospitalized to ask about his condition. Wang was not pleased with the attitude of Li, who answered the phone, and then went to the hospital to find Li, dragged her out from an Intensive Care Unit, and allegedly slapped her in the face twice in front of other medical staff in the hospital.

After local media reported the incident, Wang first claimed she barely "touched" Li's surgical mask, and later, after being questioned by prosecutors, said that she had not eaten for two days and that was why she lost control.

Wang brought an apology letter to the court session yesterday, hoping the court would assist her in giving the letter to Li, but the court rejected her request, saying that the court is not a post office. Wang later asked Li's attorney to deliver the letter, but was rejected again.